The goal for players on the bubble is to leave a good final impression.
That's exactly what wide receiver Deonte Thompson did Thursday night in St. Louis.
On his final catch of the night, Thompson streaked across the middle of the end zone. Quarterback Curtis Painter threaded an 11-yard pass, and in between two Rams defenders, Thompson hauled it in with his fingertips.
That will be the final memory in Ravens coaches' heads when they're whittling the roster down from 75. Thompson made a strong case to be one of the final 53.
"I think Deonte did a good job," Head Coach John Harbaugh said. "He's made some plays, and even a couple plays he didn't make, he'd like to get those back. ... He's played well."
Thompson finished the night with a team-high six catches for 68 yards.
He started with a one-handed,*8-yard snag on third down, then showed that defenders had to respect his 4.2-second, *40-yard dash speed by settling underneath for a 6-yard comeback. Thompson displayed that speed in the third quarter when he hauled in a deep pass on the left sideline for 20 yards.
He also proved his worth on special teams as a kick returner.
Thompson, who nearly had a kickoff return for a touchdown in the second preseason game against Detroit, almost broke another one. He brought a fourth-quarter kick back for 36 yards and was tripped up right before getting to the kicker. He finished with three returns for an average of 31.3 yards.
Thompson finished with 192 total yards against the Rams. In the preseason overall, he had 10 catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns.
"I think I put the best I could put out," Thompson said. "I could do better, it's never the best. But I think I put on a good show."
The Florida product entered the night competing with Logan Payne and Tommy Streeter for perhaps the final wide receiver spot. Streeter didn't suit up, and Payne had a good night but dropped the last pass that went his way.
Does that mean Thompson will end up on top and a part of the 53-man roster? He said he's not going to think about it, and will try to get some sleep tonight.
"I gave it my all, so I just have to sit back and wait," Thompson said. "I don't know."
